EVENTS: Megacon '09 Battlestar-struck

Who is this? If you said "gay Elvis," you really shouldn't be at Megacon. (Credit: Tod Caviness)

Forgive me if this post is a little disjointed. Verbless. Incomplete sentences. It’s late Friday night, and Megacon is really … distracting. 

But then, that’s the whole point. Even in the closing hours on opening day, with nobody left on celebrity row but the guy who got choked by Darth Vader, the attendance was more than healthy. I can only imagine what agoraphobic nerds might be in for on Saturday, when the big guns show up in earnest. This year, the con serves as the worship altar for fans of Battlestar Galactica, with a good chunk of the cast showing up to deflect your nosy questions about the final season. James Callis, Tricia Helfer, Luciana Carro and Jennifer Halley are here, along with Herbert “Boomer” Jefferson and Dirk “Starbuck” Benedict representing the old school. Sure, Benedict may not go down as the hotter of the two Starbucks, but when anybody from the A-Team shows up, you best recognize.

Unjustly overshadowed as usual by these Hollywood egos are a great roster of comics creators. George Perez has drawn just about every hero DC or Marvel ever created, and he’s justifiably the guest of honor this year. Your nerd cred depends upon your ability to recognize his work, and that of the other big-names: Chris Claremont, Amanda Conner, Darwyn Cooke and Steve McNiven to name a few. Give these people their due. The way Hollywood is snapping up comic book properties, they’ll have practically scripted and storyboarded the next ten years’ worth of blockbusters.

Some tips if you’re going to any con, but Megacon especially:

- Either show up early or late. Both have the advantage of less time spent standing in line.

- Don’t be afraid to hold off until the final hours at the dealer’s room for the big ticket collector’s items. The shadow of the modern economy was hanging pretty heavy even on the first day, and there should be even better deals as the weekend wears on.

- Bring snacks. You really don’t want to pay what the convention center charges for a cheese pretzel.

And be sure to take in these highlights. The party most definitely does not stop when the dealer’s room closes.

- The Universal Costume Contest at 6 p.m. Saturday. The limits of spandex will be beautifully and hideously tested.

- Anime Sushi’s CYBERIA Dance Party at 8:30 p.m. Saturday. Cosplayers: the original rave fashion victims.

- Battlestar Galactica Old and New Q&A at 10:30 a.m. Sunday. This is worth getting up for. It’ll be like the best philosophy class you ever had, only with sexy robots.

- Real Life Superheroes panel at 4 p.m. Sunday. According to Rolling Stone and, well, this panel, it’s a growing subculture. Learn the most colorful and potentially fatal way to follow Obama’s lead as a community servant.